Are you a YL staff person looking for Christmas gift ideas for committee or leaders? A volunteer leader looking for gift ideas for your high school friends? Or maybe just a YL’dly selfish person, addicted to YL gear, looking for items to add to your own Christmas list…below are some ideas for you!
Custom Sweatshirt Blankets
One of my favorite YL gifts I’ve ever been given! You can order them at the YL online store for as low as $24.99. There are tons of other great gift ideas at the Online Young Life Store.
Written by John Wagner, a senior VP for YL, Perfect tells the stories of John’s son David, a 17-year-old boy with Down Syndrome. In the book, John shares how David has led him more fully to the sacred stories of Jesus. Get ready to dance, laugh, cry, celebrate, wonder, treasure, believe and be wrapped in pure joy as you meet this little boy who is precious to the Savior and a gift to all those around him. Buy it here.
Wigs
How fun would it be to pick out a different wig for each of your leaders? And think of the value that would add to your area skit closet! Find wigs here.
Letters To A Young Life Leader
By: Bob Mitchell and Kit Sublett
This book is a treasure of Godly wisdom that all YL leaders need to read. “Mitch” was Young Life’s third president and one of Jim Rayburn’s original club kids. He’s the real deal and continues to point YL staff and leaders to Christ. “Letters to a Young Life Leader” is a collection of 37 letters, arranged in five sections, covering a wide range of topics — everything from why we use humor in Young Life to spiritual formation and balancing ministry and family. Buy it here.
Another great YL treasure from Whitecaps Media. Buy it here.
Framed Wordles
Check out this video for an example.
Crazy Creek Camping Chairs
In the past, I have ordered a bunch of these chairs in bulk from websites like Sierra Trading Post for around $20.
Made For This: The Young Life Story
It’s currently on sale on Staff Resources for only $26 and bulk orders are even less. Great gift for those who want to know the history of the mission from the early 30’s through today. Get it here.
Young Life Water Bottles
There are a lot of options at the online YL store ranging between $7-$14. A great thing about water bottles is you can fill them with other fun and cheap things like a hand-written note, candy canes, etc.
Prized Possession: A Father’s Journey In Raising His Daughter
Alan Smyth & Kristy Fox, Young Life Regional Directors in California, published this book for dads with daughters. You can order it here.
Gas Cards
If you’re a committee member looking for a gift for volunteer leaders, you can’t go wrong with a gas card!
Head Lamps
Leaders can rapidly increase their cool points by breaking out a headlamp at camp. Prices range from $10-$100. I use mine all the time!
Personalized Frisbees/Disc Golf Discs
You can order disc golf discs or 175g nice ultimate frisbees with your area logo on them from a lot of online stores. The turnaround process typically isn’t quick, so order today. I’ve had good success in the past with DTworld.com
Belt Buckles
Who doesn’t want a belt buckle with the YL logo on it? Or a sketch of your face engraved in shiny silver? I’ve never ordered these, but I can’t imagine anything I’d rather open on Christmas day than a nice shiny belt buckle. Shoutout to all our Texas YL leaders!
How To Distribute Gifts At A Leader Party
One year we played a game to distribute gifts. There were tons of gifts on a table upfront in view of all. The gifts ranged in cost from $5-$30 and varied from the things above to cd’s, books, gift cards to restaurants, etc. The person who had been leading the longest in the area got to pick a gift first…all the way to the newest leader picking last. It was a nice way to recognize the marathoners in the group and fun to see what everyone picked.
Here are some helpful thoughts from Eric Scofield for YL staff folks. (direct link to video)
